Indians pitcher John Axford wants to retake the closer's job he lost May 9, but it's unclear when that might happen, reports the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Indians are doing well with a committee approach featuring Cody Allen, Bryan Shaw, Marc Rzepczynski and Scott Atchison.
Axford converted nine of 11 saves before losing the job. In his last three appearances, Axford has pitched 3 1/3 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and no walks, a vast improvement over his early wildness.
"I feel great," Axford told the paper. "I feel calm. I feel relaxed. I feel like I have more control of myself out there. I'm a long guy (6-5) and I can get a lot of arms and legs going. If I can maintain it and keep those things under wraps and focused, the better I'll be."